A group of TDS is demanding “fair play for rural Ireland” if they are to be part of any coalition government.
The Rural Independents group said this is their red line as they met Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin at Leinster House on Wednesday.
The Green Party also met Fianna Fail and started policy talks as efforts continued to form a government.
The convenor of the Rural Independent Group, Mattie McGrath, said: “We are looking for fair play for rural Ireland. By rural Ireland, we mean... all of the regional cities and towns.”
Mr McGrath said there should be a better spread of jobs and companies so the economy is not concentrated in the capital.
He added: “This situation with Dublin choking up the rest of the country is just ridiculous. The idea we have to change our emphasis to insist that factories go to rural cities now, never mind towns, is needed so that we have a fair and equal Ireland.”
He also said the current penalty points system for drivers needs to be reformed.
“Minister for Transport Shane Ross wants to double the amount of penalty points people get on a bank holiday weekend... that could be the farmer going to the mart on a bank holiday or a person going to work on a bank holiday,” he said.
“Rural Ireland stays open on a bank holiday so those proposals are outrageous if you are to be penalised doubly.”
Mr McGrath added there needs to be more urgency around the government formation talks.
“The priority has to be about bringing an end to the political posturing so that major public concerns around health and housing can be addressed.
“The Rural Independent Group is very aware that the people we represent, and indeed people generally, do not have time to wait while the main political parties dance around the issue of getting down to business and bringing about a platform for significant policy change.”
